In 2020, BCS revealed that women made up only 17% of IT specialists in the UK, with this figure having only increased by 1% over the previous five years. The latest Diversity Report from BCS paints a bleak picture by stating that if current trends persist, it will take a staggering 283 years for the tech industry’s gender balance to align with the wider workforce where 48% are women.
The uphill battle of increasing female representation in the UK’s technology sector continues despite growing awareness within businesses of the benefits of having a diverse workforce. Julia Adamson, who heads education and public benefit at BCS, emphasized the need to provide more opportunities for women and girls to pursue careers in technology, an industry that plays a crucial role in shaping our world.
The pace of change towards a more diverse tech sector has been frustratingly slow, as highlighted at the 2023 Computer Weekly and Nash Squared diversity event by Bev White, CEO of Nash Squared. Secondary data from the Office for National Statistics analyzed by BCS revealed that between 2018 and 2022, the percentage of women in the UK tech sector only increased by 4%, reaching 20% in 2022. This slight improvement mirrored the stagnant progress seen in previous years.
Although the number of women working in UK technology has gradually risen, the overall percentage of women in the industry remains disappointingly low. In 2019, there were 249,000 women in tech, accounting for 17% of IT specialists, and by 2022, this number had grown to 380,000, representing 20% of tech workers.
Moreover, the lack of diversity extends beyond gender, with only 0.7% of tech sector employees being Black women, an increase from 0.3% in 2019 but still alarmingly low compared to other industries. The representation of black women in tech is significantly lower than in other fields, with a stark difference of 2.5 times. Within the BAME community, there were 268,000 IT specialists, making up 18% of the workforce, with 8% being of Indian ethnicity, according to BCS’s data.
The statistics paint a concerning picture of diversity in the tech sector, highlighting the urgent need for more inclusive practices and strategies to attract and retain a more diverse talent pool. There is a clear imperative to address these challenges and foster a tech industry that truly reflects the society it serves.